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Knee Issue

Posted , 9 users are following.

gajet
gajet

I'm wondering if anyone has experienced anything similar to this situation. I was diagnosed with PMR in August 2016. It had come on rapidly and followed the common symptions. I was a very fit and muscular 64 yr old (woman) at the time. In the following 14 months the situation was fairly conventional: ie. if I took the right amount of prednisone I functioned normally. I had started at 25 mg. and at the 14 month point I was at about 10mg. Then, around this time I started getting pain in one shoulder and one knee, which in a couple of months morphed into both shoulders and both knees. Here, at approx. the 22 month point I still have two swollen and stiff knees and both shoulder joint area with soreness issues. The previous PMR soreness and stiffness issues in shoulder and hip girdle area is reduced to a minimal level, but now I'm limping around for a different reason. Knee Xrays show minimal arthritis. I'm thinking that it's the long term prednisone that might have caused the problem, through muscle wasting of the support structure around the knees. Since the prednisone did not seem to be helping to remove the issue in either my knees or shoulders I have worked my way off of it over the past couple of months. Any comments/ insight/suggestions would be appreciated.

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • Anhaga
    Anhaga gajet

    Posted

    Perhaps you need evaluation by a physiotherapist who can prescribe exercises which will strengthen the relevant muscles and help relieve the pain?
  • Diana112
    Diana112 gajet

    Posted

    Did you ever try increasing the medication when symptoms started to return?  It may be you had just reduced a bit too far and perhaps there were occasions when you were taking on too much and not giving your body time to recover.  Muscle weakness can be a problem but I would be surprised to see muscle 'wasting' after only 14 months at the level you describe.  From what you say you have discontinued the medication entirely which over such a short period will result in other issues.  It can take some time before the adrenal function is fully active. Sadly, there is no quick cure for PMR and in the meantime prednisone will be your friend.

     

    • EileenH
      EileenH Diana112

      Posted

      When I was on methylprednisolone/Medrol I saw muscle wasting within just a few months - never happened with prednisolone or prednisone which I had been on for over 2 years before and 5 years since respectively.

      Many doctors feel we should be put on a tailored physio programme. Does it happen? Does it heck!!!!

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